Fontainebleau wildfire: Arson probes deepen as 1,900 hectares destroyed in unprecedented Paris region deployment
French authorities are investigating whether the blaze that ravaged the UNESCO biosphere reserve was deliberately set, as 600 firefighters and four Canadair aircraft battle the spread in the southeast of the capital.
French firefighters continue to battle two separate wildfires in the Fontainebleau forest, a UNESCO biosphere reserve located approximately 60 kilometres southeast of Paris, which have destroyed more than 1,900 hectares of land. The fires, which erupted on Sunday during a severe heatwave, have prompted the evacuation of around 1,000 residents and triggered an unprecedented aerial response in the greater Paris region.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that authorities are investigating whether the fire was deliberately set, citing approximately 10 ignition points within a 1,000-metre perimeter. Police arrested two individuals suspected of arson on Monday: an 18-year-old man found with soot-covered hands and a lighter, and a 37-year-old resident. Nunez noted that a total of 59 people have been arrested across France for arson-related offences, with two specifically linked to the Fontainebleau incident.
The scale of the disaster led to the deployment of four Canadair aircraft, two Dash planes, and three water-bombing helicopters. Jean-Marc Sicard, the commander of rescue operations, confirmed that 187 water drops had been carried out by Monday evening. Around 600 firefighters remained mobilised on the ground, working in shifts to contain the blaze as weather conditions remained unfavourable for suppression efforts.
President Emmanuel Macron described the event as "an exceptionally large wildfire" and confirmed that all available resources had been deployed to combat the spread. The fire has disrupted major transport links, including the closure of the A6 motorway leading southeast from Paris. While national railway services have resumed normal operations following repairs to burnt cables, the incident has highlighted the strain on infrastructure during the country’s third heatwave in less than three months.
The Fontainebleau fire is part of a broader pattern of extreme weather affecting France, with wildfires having scorched approximately 25,000 hectares of land since the start of the year. This figure is nearly twice the amount recorded during the same period last year and represents an area almost as large as Edinburgh. As temperatures are expected to remain high through the Bastille Day national holiday, officials warn that the risk of further incidents remains elevated.
